James Anderson was available for nothing more than the morning team talk

Paul Edwards13-May-2023
They know about overseas cricketers at Old Trafford. They saw some of the very best of the bunch half-a-century and more ago and they saw them before the practice of engaging foreign players for a season or two became common in the English game. But they’ve also watched some sleazeballs fly in and collect their cash without making a discernible contribution to Lancashire cricket.So when Daryl Mitchell took three Somerset wickets from 13 tight overs on Friday, the cognoscenti in the old pavilion were impressed, even if they reserved most of their final judgement on the New Zealander. Rather less of that judgement is withheld this long-shadowed evening, though, now that Mitchell has become only the ninth Lancashire cricketer to make a century on his first-class debut. And a little was removed when the new centurion turned and acknowledged the enthusiastic applause of the members, a habit that one or two home-grown players would do well to acquire.A couple of Somerset cricketers congratulated Mitchell, too, even though his innings of 105 had done more than anything else to dull the always formidable threat of Craig Overton and Matt Henry, thereby limiting the visitors’ lead to 35 on a pitch not noticeably replete with devilment. But there were still at least two points in the day’s play when Somerset threatened to dominate this match without ever taking the wickets that would have confirmed the fact.Yet if they had been bashed by Mitchell, Tom Abell’s cricketers were unabashed by the challenge of trying to force a victory and the final 28.2 overs of the day saw them progress to 114 for 3, with the skipper particularly dynamic in making a 63-ball 48 that included seven fours. However, Abell was bowled when trying to reverse-sweep a straight ball from Tom Hartley and the day’s last over brought another success for Lancashire when George Bartlett was bowled for 12 by a fine ball from Saqib Mahmood.Either early wickets for Lancashire or quick runs followed by an enterprising declaration by Somerset could still produce a positive result on the final afternoon, although one’s guess is that none of the above will be forthcoming. Yet that is an uncharitable thought at the end of the sort of day when one realises the cricket season has truly arrived. Gorse Hill Park sang in the green wonder of it this morning and the Old Trafford stewards, who are a fairly cheery bunch these days, sported even sunnier smiles of welcome. Maybe it’s unfair on the cricketers, too, whose efforts have produced three fluctuating days, an arm-wrestle, to be sure, but so far, at least, one in which neither team has slumped to the horizontal.This morning, for example, Overton removed Will Williams and Steven Croft before the first Palo Cortado had slipped down in the 1864 suite and then had George Balderson caught behind for a fine 71 just before luncheon, when Lancashire’s deficit was 202. But this was a day on which Somerset’s bowlers were denied, not only by Mitchell but also by a couple of the fresh generation of Lancastrians, cricketers who will soon be pushing their seniors for places in the side once everyone is available.For while Croft and Dane Vilas contributed only 22 runs to the cause, George Bell and Hartley shared stands of 57 and 89 respectively with Mitchell, both partnerships being much more than announcements of promise. Bell, in particular, showed that while many young cricketers struggle to adapt to Championship cricket, there are those who take to the county game with an amenable shrug. Over last season and this, Somerset’s James Rew has shown he is a member of that group and today Bell offered further evidence, in only his seventh first-class match, that he belongs amongst them, too. The shot he played to get out might appear on the front cover of but by then Bell had made 38 polished runs and shared the stand with Mitchell that finally expunged the probably slight possibility that Lancashire might be asked to follow on.Perhaps encouraged by the quality of this support, Mitchell continued to invest every shot with total commitment. He swept or reverse swept on length and hit strongly down the ground, taking a big stride to the pitch of the ball and often lifting his drive well over the inner ring of fielders. So far over in the case of two boundaries off Josh Davey and Kasey Aldridge that the ball also crossed the rope.Behind these gaudier efforts Mitchell’s defensive strokes were devoid of flourish but stacked with care. He reached his century with a deliberately crafted edge to third man off Henry, but his compatriot quickly applied the best salve to any wounds, first by having Hartley caught at deep square leg for 47 and then by removing Mitchell four balls later, snaffled by Tom Lammonby at midwicket when trying to pull. With James Anderson available for nothing more than the morning team talk, Lancashire’s innings closed on 326. Somehow that seemed a poor reward for Overton, whose figures of 4 for 52 from 22 overs reflected his well-directed aggression.